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Jan 24, 2012
CompTIA Calls on President to Extend Payroll Tax Holiday, Pass Access to Capital Proposal, Support Meaningful Cybersecurity Legislation and Speed Job Training in IT-Related Fields
Washington, D.C., January 24, 2012 – In advance of the President’s State of the Union address, Todd Thibodeaux, president and chief executive officer of CompTIA, the non-profit association for the information technology (IT) industry, issued the following statement.
“As the President finalizes his State of the Union address, CompTIA urges him to recognize and engage the IT sector as a partner on key economic priorities. In particular, attention should be given to the IT channel – mostly comprised of small and medium sized firms and a significant contributor to the U.S. economy with more than $350 billion in business-to-business sales. Currently, small and medium sized information technology firms employ nearly two million Americans, spending more than $110 billion annually on payroll. Making the tax code and financial regulations fairer to these companies, advancing cybersecurity protections and promoting skills for IT careers are all ways to advance the IT sector and the economy as a whole.
“These IT firms can contribute even more to the economy if the President and Congress extend the payroll tax holiday. Moreover, we urge the President and Congress to work together to ease access to capital by passing the “Small Company Capital Formation Act of 2011” (H.R. 1070 / S. 1544), an important step in enabling these innovative companies to continue to grow.
“As smart devices and technologies continue to proliferate, CompTIA asks the President to support efforts to pass meaningful legislation on cybersecurity and press for a rational approach to data security and breach notification laws.
“Finally, at a time when many Americans are struggling to find jobs, there are more than 300,000 IT and IT-related jobs that are presently unfilled. As a country, we need to do a better job of getting educators on the same page as employers so that Americans are career-ready and able to thrive in the information technology field. The Administration’s Summer Jobs+ is a step in the right direction but much more remains to be done.
“On behalf of CompTIA’s 2,000-plus member companies, I look forward to working with the President and Congress to address these and other issues critical to the IT sector and to the nation as a whole.”
About CompTIA
CompTIA is the voice of the world’s information technology (IT) industry. Its members are the companies at the forefront of innovation; and the professionals responsible for maximizing the benefits organizations receive from their investments in technology. CompTIA is dedicated to advancing industry growth through its educational programs, market research, networking events, professional certifications, and public policy advocacy. For more information, visit www.comptia.org or follow CompTIA on Twitter at http://twitter.com/comptia.
CompTIA’s Public Advocacy group focuses on a broad array of issues affecting the IT industry, with particular emphasis on representing the interests of small and mid-sized IT companies and entrepreneurs. Areas of focus include workforce education and training, tax matters, access to capital, health IT, export promotion, procurement, cybersecurity and smart technologies.
Contacts:
Audrey Chang
The Harbour Group
202-295-8779
audrey.chang@harbourgrp.com
Steven Ostrowski
CompTIA
630-678-8468
smostrowski@comptia.org
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